Skies of Change
by PikaBrightheart
Summary: [Spoilers for chapters 36-37] "Your favorite color… it was that of a cloudless sky, right?"


_AN: I really wanted to write about Mika having a proper meeting with the Shinoa squad. ^^ This is set sometime after chapters 36-37. I own nothing._

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The setting sun's rays reflected off of deep crimson eyes, the white highlights a sharp contrast against dilated pupils. Almost instantaneously Yuu's entire body went rigid. It was a completely instinctual reflex, one that had been ingrained into his being since he was small. The reaction of a prey animal being spotted by its number one predator.

He reached for the sword around his waist, and drew it from its sheath. Whirling around, he pointed it towards the vampire, drawing short of their head. Except… he knew this vampire. Heat rose to his face, well that was one way to make a fool of himself. Relaxing his arm, he let out a sigh, "I'm sorry Mika! I didn't realize it was you!"

"I can't blame you, I have become something unpleasant after all," Mika said, unflinching.

"But it's really good to see you; I wasn't expecting to bump into you here! How did you find me? Were you following us?" The Shinoa squad had left out on a simple expedition that afternoon. They'd been tasked to explore what might be a new vampire settlement, so Yuu was naturally on high-alert.

Mika nodded, "I saw you split up, so I figured it would be a good time to approach you."

"Is everything okay?" Yuu asked. Mika wasn't in any trouble was he? Had his friend come to warn him about something?

"No, I was just hoping to see you," Mika said, stepping towards him with a welcoming smile.

Yuu felt his body tensing up at his approach; despite the fact that he knew he was safe.

It was a reaction that didn't go unnoticed by Mika. "You're making an unpleasant face, Yuu-chan…" He paused, angling his head so that his blond locks fell past his eyes.

Yuu felt an awful twisting sensation in the pit of his stomach. "I'm sorry, it's just, something I'll have to adjust to. It's hard to change what your body has been trained to do." He tried to think of another way to explain. It wasn't about Mika in the slightest. And yet… he still couldn't shake the fight-or-flight response from his system. Or the way the hairs raised along the back of his neck…

"You can't even stand the sight of me now, can you?" Mika drawled on, "Ever since I've lost all traces of my humanity…"

"No Mika, please listen to me. That's not what it is at all," Yuu insisted. He could practically see the gears turning in his friend's head. The melancholic tone of his words rang as clear as a bell to him. Yuu was more than aware of the pain that his friend shouldered. And it weighed down on his heart as if it were his own. "I told you this before; the fact that you've become a vampire doesn't change anything."

It _was_ an odd thing to notion. Especially considering that he was a part of the Moon Demon Company, the one organization whose sole purpose was to bring about the annihilation of vampires. And then there was the fact that he had spent the last four years of his life thinking about nothing but killing them. _And_ how he'd killed more than he could count…

Mika turned to him slightly, "It might not change in your case, but for _me_ it does…"

"Yeah, I-I know that," Yuu said, balling his hands into fists. It was true that they had both gone through unspeakable horrors, becoming enslaved to vampires as children, and having to watch their own family getting killed in front of them… But Mika's case was far worse than his own.

Yuu had thought Mika was dead for four years, but at the very least, he hadn't been alone. Guren had taken him under his wing, and truthfully he was like the father he'd never had. A parental figure who hadn't disowned and abandoned him. Unlike his actual parents, who had left him to an orphanage… The one where he'd met Mika. And then… there was his squad, who were his friends, _his family_.

Mika didn't have that. Mika had been all alone, and the only thing that had kept him going was the fact that Yuu had survived. In fact… it was the only thing that _still_ kept him going, when he really thought about it.

Mika had been thrown to the wolves, forced into becoming the very thing he despised. And to make matters worse, he'd spent years growing up beside the one vampire who had killed their family… For four years, he had been surrounded by no one he could trust.

"I still want you to know what I think, though," Yuu said, leaning over to try and catch Mika's eye. "I… was wrong before. I no longer think that all vampires are necessarily bad."

"Do you honestly think that? Even after everything I…" he grit his teeth, making his fangs appear more prominently.

Was Mika still worried about the blood drinking? Personally Yuu wasn't bothered by it at all. Because Mika was a vampire and vampires had to drink blood in order to survive after all. Besides Mika had been starving himself of human blood for years, putting himself in _pain_. And all because he was worried of what Yuu might think if did otherwise... But Yuu completely understood.

"Of course!" Yuu asserted, "Besides why does everything have to be about humans and vampires? Why can't we just think of each other as Yuu and Mika? We may not be biologically the same, of course. But aside from that, are we really all that different?"

"I wish I could think that way…" Mika mused, "But nothing can ever be the same as it once was. Your favorite color… it was that of a cloudless sky, right?" Turning to face him, there was the hint of tears in his red eyes, "I don't know about you but I truly despise this…"

It was true; blue had always been his favorite color. After all, it was the color of the sky, from the outside world. The world that Mika and himself had wanted to see together. It was the color of freedom, the color of a promise. And Mika's eyes had once been that very same shade. But…

"I do like the color blue, but I like any color of the sky. It just reminds me of our family, of you. And your eyes match this sunset, Mika," Yuu said with a smile.

"Hmm?" Mika blinked furiously, a blush settling across his cheeks.

"Really, you should see yourself!" Yuu chuckled, "Sure it's different, but that doesn't mean it's a bad thing."

"But the sight of me now startles you… That never happened before."

"Well then, the more I get to see you, the sooner I'll get used to it!" Yuu said, by now he had entirely calmed down. There were no longer any traces of the panic that had been triggered earlier. "You're always so considerate of me. I wish that Shinoa and the others could see this side of you."

Mika's facial expression immediately hardened. "Not those humans again…" he muttered.

" _Those humans_ are a part of my family too. You really should give them a chance Mika. And, I know what you're thinking, but they aren't like that. They would never try to hurt me."

Yuu was the only one who got to see the real Mika. Everyone else saw the seemingly cold-hearted and shutoff Mika. If only Mika would be willing to open up to his friends. When he shut his eyes he could imagine them all together, smiling from ear to ear. They weren't judgmental; it wouldn't matter to them if he was a vampire or a human. He'd be welcomed in with open arms.

But Mika hated humans as much as he hated vampires. Because humans had experimented on Yuu when he was small. That was the reason why he'd gone berserk and blacked out for days afterwards. It was all for some type of weapon, as Mika had told him. There was no doubt that the Moon Demon Company wanted to exploit him for this very purpose. And there was nothing Mika hated more.

However Mika was generalizing. Not every human wanted to use him for their own means. There were people in his life who valued him as an individual. And they didn't think of him as merely a potential tool.

"That remains to be seen. Humans can't be trusted, end of story," Mika continued, as stubborn as ever.

"Did they give you any reason to believe that? Shinoa and the others helped you before, right?"

"It is true that they protected me… I never anticipated that," Mika admitted.

"And they went against direct orders to do it! Do you really think someone would do that, if they only wanted to use me?" Yuu asked, "And if only you knew Shinoa… She's normally a stickler for following rules, aside from when our friends are in danger."

Averting his gaze, Mika muttered, "Humans are unpredictable though, you can never determine their motives."

"But that can be true for anyone! Heck, you'd probably think the same about me, if we didn't know each other!" Yuu tried to reason.

Mika grew silent for a couple minutes. "Yuu-chan is being cruel…"

Yuu decided to take that as a victory. Maybe he could get through to him, one day. Walking over a broken stone, he moved directly in front of Mika. He clapped a hand to his shoulder, and Mika glanced up with glazed eyes. "Would you let me introduce you to my family?"

"What? Are you in your right mind?" Mika questioned, "As if the humans would let a vampire stroll among the ranks of the Moon Demon Company!"

"No, no!" Yuu placed his other hand on the vampire's opposite shoulder, "I'm going to bring them here! We just split up, they can't be far!" A huge grin spread between his cheeks. This was probably too much for Mika, he realized too late. But what other options were there?

Mika tried to force a scowl through his blushing. "It'll just be the four from your "squad" right?"

"Yep!"

"Well then…" Mika gave him a sideways look, and Yuu grinned even wider. "I _suppose_ that's all right."

Yuu let out a cheer.

"But this is only for your sake, not theirs," he added quickly.

"Great, I'll go and fetch them!" Yuu exclaimed. Releasing his shoulders, Yuu charged off before Mika could make any further comments. How this would turn out was anyone's guess, but this was progress either way. Mika could possibly gain more family members after all.

…

It didn't take long for Yuu to gather all of his friends up. He brought them all back to their temporary base camp to brief them in on his plan.

"I don't know if I like the sound of this," Kimizuki was saying after Yuu finished explaining.

"Why not?"

Crossing his arms, he continued, "Well for starters, he absolutely loathes us. The last time I saw him I was greeted with a headbutt to the face."

"Like your first meeting with Yuu-san was much different?" Shinoa asked with a smirk.

"If you can't trust in Mika yet, then you'll have to trust in me," Yuu said, "I've said that to him, too."

"All right," he conceded, "I guess it can't get any worse than you, right?"

" _Hey_. And what is that supposed to mean?"

Mitsuba let out a laugh, "I don't mean to interrupt your bickering but, what about our mission?"

Shinoa waved the comment aside, "Clearly the only vampire here is Mikaela-san. We would have found them by now, if there were any others.

"That's true," Kimizuki said, "I'm beginning to think that HQ just sent us here on a wild goose chase."

"I wouldn't put it past them," Shinoa affirmed. Looking at Yuu, she added, "It would be my honor to formally meet the Mika I've heard so much about."

"M-me too!" Yoichi said, with a bright look in his eyes.

Yuu looked to Mitsuba expectedly.

She ducked her head and clutched at her arm, "I'm not sure… He doesn't seem to care about what might happen to us. What if he…" Catching Yuu's expression, she stopped short.

"Mika knows that you're my family. And he knows how upset I'd be if anything did happen to you. He wouldn't harm you."

"All right… If you're positive..." Mitsuba decided.

"That's great! Why don't we go then?" Yuu said, motioning towards the city streets.

…

Leaving straightaway, it only took them about fifteen minutes to return to the area. Yuu recognized the decaying buildings off to the sides. However, there was no sign of Mika. "I bet he's gone inside, I'll go find him!" Yuu said. He then started to run off but Mitsuba caught his arm.

"You're _sure_ this isn't a trap, right?" she asked.

Frowning, Yuu shook his head. "Of course not!"

With a sigh, she released her hold on his sleeve and Yuu raced off for the first building. He ran up to the doorway and rounded through the entrance. Sure enough, Mika was seated against the wall opposite of him, with an arm draped over his knee. His blank face visibly lit up, "Yuu-chan…" Smoothly he stood to his feet.

Yuu raced over to him, practically skidding across the floor. "Are you ready to meet them?"

"I suppose, since that's what you want…" Mika replied far less enthusiastically.

"Hey, I'll be with you the whole time, okay?" Yuu gave him a reassuring smile.

"It's not like I'm _afraid_ ," he retorted.

"Yes, but I know that you're still feeling uncomfortable about it, in some form. So that's why I'm going to stay right by your side," Yuu said, sliding a hand to his friend's shoulder.

"Yuu-chan…" he whispered softly. The affection in which he said his name almost made Yuu blush. In that moment, Mika's face looked like it belonged to anything but a vampire.

Yuu cupped his free hand around his mouth; "All right guys, you can come in!" he called, his voice amplifying against the empty room.

After a minute or two of silence, Yuu eventually heard the tell-tale sound of footfalls outside. The crunching of gravel stopped, and unsurprisingly Yoichi poked his head around the door a moment later. Kimizuki then slipped past him, entering the building without an ounce of fear in his posture. The girls followed soon after, with Mitsuba at the rear.

Subconsciously, Mika seemed to gravitate closer to Yuu. One of his hands found the back of his cape and latched onto it. ' _Poor Mika_ ,' Yuu thought. He almost seemed like a small child in his insecurity. When Mika was around Yuu he let his true emotions leak through. If not for his presence, he certainly wouldn't be letting his vulnerabilities show.

Mika probably seemed cold on the battlefield and around the other vampires, but it was such a mask. His automated defense mechanism to protect him from what he thought was a cruel world. But not everything in this world was dark; there was always a light to be found. It had taken Yuu years to find that light, but it had been so worth it in the end.

He couldn't imagine trying to see through the storms without his beacon. And that's what Yuu was to Mika. His only light source and he followed that light no matter what. But there were more lights to be found, if only Mika would be willing to flip the switch…

Yuu held out his palm before him, "Mika, these are my friends. They've helped me with a whole lot! And they help me keep my head on straight too, you know how much I need that sometimes," he let out a laugh, then continued, "They were able to give me something to fight for; when I thought I had nothing."

Mika glanced at him, before turning to his friends. There was a genuine curiosity to his gaze now.

"Oh, and guys! I know you haven't had the best of meetings, but this is Mika! Ah… where do I even begin? He's my precious family, and before I met him, I… I had no one. After my parents cast me aside, he became my family. And he's been there for me no matter what. He's completely loyal, and the sweetest once you get to know him! I don't know where I'd be if not for him." Yuu scratched at his head.

These were all things that he always knew. Emotions he'd always felt, but didn't exactly say, or want to admit honestly. But he _had_ been down dark paths, and he'd needed the help of his friends to guide him. He didn't need to feel ashamed about that.

"Yuu-san you're embarrassing him!" Shinoa chided, "I doubt that helps with his confidence level."

"Huh?" Yuu looked over his shoulder to see that Mika's face was beet red. Oh, woops.

"Thank you …" he whispered in his ear, too quietly for the others to hear.

Yoichi took a hesitant step forward, "Um, would it be all right… If I came a bit closer?" he asked.

"Do as you'd like," Mika grunted.

Tiptoeing towards him, Yoichi stopped a foot away, "My name is Yoichi, and it's nice to meet you!" He bowed in greeting, and looked up from beneath his lashes, "Do you mind if I call you, Mika-kun?"

"It's fine…"

"Well Mika-kun, I just want to say that, I think of you as a part of this family too. And I'd like to get to know you more!"

Shinoa strutted over, "Yuu-san talks about you _all_ the time, you know that?"

"R-really?"

"Oh yes," she hummed, "It's always "but Mika this" and "Mika that"… And he's always calling out your name in his sleep, too." She touched a finger to her cheek, "That's why we had to protect you."

"Well… thanks for looking out for Yuu-chan," Mika said.

"We did it to help youtoo, numbnut. And I would have done the same regardless of Yuu's being there or not."

"But, why? I don't understand, there's nothing in it for you! There'd be no point…"

"You're a part of the Shinoa squad now, whether you like it or not. And we fight for one another. Besides…" she pointed a finger at Yuu, "Yuu-san would kill me if anything happened to you. It's obvious how important you are to one another."

Kimizuki shuffled forward, pushing his glasses up the brim of his nose. "Not all humans are selfish, you know. In fact, most of them _are_ like Yuu, hot-headed, can't think before they act—"

"—Oh don't get me started!" Mitsuba put in, "I don't think you realize how many times this guy has nearly gotten us killed! He's so reckless that he puts himself in danger, when it could've easily been avoided! I have to wonder what goes on in that head of his, sometimes…"

"— _Hey!_ " Yuu hissed, waving a fist at them. Feeling Mika's hand trembling, he glanced back, only to find him laughing.

Mika half-collapsed where he stood, "It's true though! You do get yourself into too much trouble, Yuu-chan." Slackening his grip on Yuu's cape, he inched a bit further from him. He let a half-smile form on his face, "Maybe I was wrong, I don't think that you humans would ever want to use Yuu-chan."

"Mika!" Yuu exclaimed. Was he finally giving them a chance?

"Not that he'd be a reliable weapon, to begin with," Kimizuki remarked.

"Okay, what's with the insults?" Yuu demanded.

"When we were held captive…" Mika began. Everyone seemed to draw a silent breath, ready to soak in whatever information that Mika was willing to share. "Yuu-chan was always the one to openly antagonize the vampires if they harmed another child. He'd always put himself at risk for others... I always tried to stop him and appease to the nobles, so they wouldn't harm him for his foolishness."

"Some things never change, huh?" Shinoa queried.

"I _am_ right here you know!"

"Sorry, Yuu-chan…" Mika said.

Yoichi giggled, "What about you, Mika-kun?"

"Hmm?"

"Could you tell me something about yourself? Like maybe…" he paused, "What's your favorite color?"

Mika regarded him as if he'd just asked the most peculiar thing. Narrowing his eyes he answered, "Green. Though, I don't see how that information is worthwhile."

"Oh, green, hmm?" Shinoa gave Yuu a sideways look, "Just out of curiosity, what's your favorite, Yuu-san?"

"Well it used to be blue," Yuu answered, crossing his arms. Where was Shinoa going with this?

" _Very_ interesting," Shinoa boldly stepped over to Mika, "Weren't those eyes of yours blue before?"

Mika straightened his back to look down at her, "Why should that concern you, human?"

"Ah " _human_ " right, go ahead and assert your dominance as the stronger species. You can call me Shinoa, or perhaps Shinoa-chan if you take a liking to me," she winked, "Although, I think we've both got our eyes on someone already."

"Don't test my patience, _Shinoa_ ," Mika said with clear reluctance.

Mitsuba sighed, "Try not to let her get to you; she's like this with everyone. She _loves_ to get a rise out of people."

Shinoa ignored her and hopped over towards Yuu. She leaned over with a dangerous glint in her eye, "I'm guessing that you're the one responsible, huh?"

"What?" Yuu just blinked.

Clapping her hands together she continued, "I see now, it's all become clear to me!"

Mika gave Yuu a look that said, ' _What in the world is with this woman_?'

Yuu shook his head; he had no idea what Shinoa might be scheming either. You just never knew with her.

"So tell me Mikaela-san, how did Yuu-san's blood taste?"

"What?!" Mika blushed, looking like a riled up cat with his feral eyes, "That does not concern you!"

Oh. That's what she'd been going on about. Well… he _had_ returned with Mika and fang marks on his neck… It probably wasn't too difficult to figure out the rest.

Kimizuki made a strangled sound, "Shinoa! Don't you think you should lay it off just a bit?"

Shinoa laughed, looking far too pleased with herself.

Clearing his throat, he said, "Please try to forgive my friend's rudeness. By the way, you can refer to me as Kimizuki."

"And I'm Mitsuba!" Mitsuba pitched in.

Mika grunted an acknowledgement.

"I swear, _most_ of us humans do have some tact. Although, there are a few things that I'm curious about myself, if you wouldn't mind my asking? You have no obligation to answer, of course."

Mika nodded.

"Do you remember what it was like to be human?" Kimizuki asked.

"Yes…" he glanced at the floor, "But it's very hazy. I can only vaguely recall things like the taste of food, or the sensation of warmth from my own body… Sometimes I dream of when I was human, but the memories don't even seem real."

Yuu frowned, he could relate in a way. The days they'd lived together did feel like another lifetime… But he couldn't imagine what it must be like without food or things like that. They were an everyday part of his life, pleasures which he took for granted...

"Vampires always seem to forget their humanity. They live for years and years slowly forgetting everything they once stood for…" Kimizuki held his hand to his chin in thought, "That isn't the same in your case, though."

"What are you getting at?" Mika asked.

"I'm saying that you're still true to yourself. You still remember what was important to you, and you fight to protect it," his eyes momentarily darted to Yuu, "I hadn't thought of vampires in that regard before. You propose a truckload of questions."

A hazy look fell over Mika, "I suppose, but I am still young. And Yuu-chan won't live as long as I will… Who knows what I might become then?"

Time seemed to stand still in that single instant. Yuu hadn't even thought that far ahead. Mika was a full vampire now, as a half-vampire he still aged but now… He would never change; he'd be stuck with the same body as Yuu continued to grow older. One day his friend would be left all alone. Mika must feel turmoil over the topic on a daily basis. And Yuu hadn't even brought it into consideration. What kind of a friend was he?

Yuu flinched as Yoichi spoke up, "I don't think you'll change. You'll have years and years to see all of the good the world has to offer… And I think that you're a kindhearted person. I've never met another vampire like you."

"Hah… You can't honestly mean that."

"I do! I believe that anyone who would fight so hard to protect someone… must have goodness in their heart. And I don't feel scared when I talk to you," he said, meeting Mika eye-to-eye, "But I can see the pain in your eyes… Someone like you doesn't deserve to be lonely. So that's why… I want to be your friend too."

Yuu tried to see Mika's expression, was that the hint of a smile? "I do think you need some space from all of those vampires, Mika," he put in.

"Humans never fail to surprise… I suppose you do have a point… I only ever hear one side of the story."

"Vampires don't know anything about us," Mitsuba said, "Whatever they've been telling you isn't entirely true."

"Then what is the truth?" Mika asked, although he seemed to be questioning himself as much as Mitsuba.

"Why don't we all tell you more about ourselves, since you decided to share as well?" she wondered, turning to Kimizuki.

"That sounds fair," he said, fidgeting with his glasses, "We all know what it's like to fight for someone, Mikaela. Myself included. I joined the Moon Demon Company for the sake of my little sister, Mirai. She became infected with Apocalypse Virus, you see… and they have the resources to help her."

"She became infected, despite her age?"

He nodded gravelly.

According to Mika, the Apocalypse Virus had been spread to adult humans after the failed Seraph of the End experimentations. Children were generally immune, and that's why vampires raised them as their livestock. Mirai was a rare exception however. Still, if what Mika said was true, Yuu felt partly responsible. He _had_ been a failed experiment after all… Maybe if they had perfected him as weapon, Mika, Akane, Mirai, and the rest of his family wouldn't have had to suffer. Maybe they might still be alive…

"That must be awful…" Yuu hadn't expected to hear the sympathy in Mika's voice. Although Mika didn't seem to have any vendetta against human children.

"It really is… But I have faith that we'll find a cure for her someday. I won't ever let myself lose hope."

"Hmm," Mika was trying to keep his face guarded, but Yuu could see through his guise. The others were beginning to warm up to him, he was sure of it.

"I'm grateful to your "Yuu-chan" too," Shinoa said, shooting a look his way. Yuu shook his head. For some reason when Shinoa said that it sounded a lot more demeaning than affectionate.

Shinoa went on, realizing she'd caught Mika's attention, "If not for him I wouldn't have understood the meaning of "family", or the fear of losing someone. Although I have the surname "Hiiragi" I don't think of them as family. Because what have they ever done for me? I'm sure you've met Kureto and those bushy brows of his. He's more like a monster than any vampire I've met."

Yuu recalled how Kureto had tortured his friends and grimaced. Guren or Shinya would never implement such in-humane measures. By comparison Kureto was truly despicable.

"However Yuu-san changed my outlook. He showed me that to be family is to be valued as a person, and not for your talents, or anything you can do. So I'm eternally grateful towards him," she nodded in his direction, with a slight pink washed over her face.

Feeling his face heat up, Yuu looked away. He hadn't realized that Shinoa thought that highly of him…

"Hey, don't I get a say?" Mitsuba asked, "Let's see… Well, my fault would probably be caring _too_ much. I tried to save someone from my previous squad without planning ahead, and because of my actions everyone died but me… I've learned from my mistakes though, and to trust in my comrades no matter what. But you should be careful too, Mika-san. I wouldn't want to see anyone else repeat my mistake."

"That's a good point…" Mika admitted.

"A-and uh…" Yoichi ducked his head, "Everyone's confidence has helped to rub off on me. Yuu-kun was my first real friend, and he stood up for me when I lacked the strength to do so myself."

Yuu smiled, before he met Yoichi he hadn't had anyone to call a friend either. After losing Mika he'd been withdrawn and somewhat of a loner. But Yoichi had quickly turned that around.

"I think I'm beginning to understand now," Mika said.

"Really? Do you mean it? See I told you they were good people!"

Mika observed the squad members in front of him, "All of you… really are Yuu-chan's family. I thought I was the only one, but I was mistaken. I never thought I'd hear anyone else speak so fondly of Yuu-chan…" he nudged Yuu with his arm, "You've helped so many people. As for myself…"

"Hey, you've got plenty of time to make up for things! Starting right now!" Yuu reached out to grab Mika's arm and pulled him forward, "Quick everyone, group hug!"

Grunting in protest, Mika just froze as everyone huddled together. Yoichi placed an arm lightly against Mika's back while Yuu nuzzled against his cheek. Shinoa hooked her arm around his free side and leaned her head on his shoulder. Yuu thought he caught a glimpse of Kimizuki and Mitsuba's I _-can't-believe-we're-really-doing-this_ faces before they joined in.

Breaking apart, Yuu saw that Mika's hair was now a little frizzed up on the side, and he looked rather flustered. He blinked a few times before letting a real smile slip out. "I never thought I'd be saying this but, thank you," Mika whispered, "Thank you for looking out for Yuu-chan and… Thank you for accepting me too…"

"Of course!" Yoichi exclaimed, "You're family now too, after all. In fact, I can say the same to you Mika-kun. Thanks for giving us a chance."

Yuu wanted to cheer out loud. This was all that he'd ever wanted. To see his family, all of his loved ones together, as equals. For Mika and the others to reach an understanding, but he never thought it would actually come to pass. And now hear they all were, right before his very eyes.

They continued to chatter for several minutes until Mitsuba suggested heading back. Shinoa and the others had just exited the room when Yuu spoke up, "Red."

"Hmm?"

"My favorite color is red. It's the color of the sky when you joined our squad. The same color of your eyes, the color of family," with a pause he added, "It doesn't matter how you look. Or what you eat. Mika is Mika no matter what."

Yuu waited to see if Mika would respond. Hearing nothing, he turned to see Mika crying. Tears crawled down his face, dripping onto the floor below. "I didn't realize how much I needed to hear that. Thank you, Yuu-chan…"

Mika reached out to grab Yuu in an embrace, and he they held each other close. Holding a vampire was different than holding a human. Vampires didn't generate body heat, so it was a bit similar to hugging a pillow, but still comforting all the same. Yuu's hand reached Mika's head and he stroked his golden hair.

"It'll be challenging to protect more than one person," Mika noted aloud.

Yuu chuckled, "I know we can count on you. Besides that's what vampire powers are good for right? It gives you the strength to protect us!"

Sliding away, Yuu stared into Mika's crimson eyes. They no longer triggered fear in him, only warmth. And Mika's eyes were like a deep fire. One of destruction, which would tear down anything in its way if left to its own devices. But at the same time, if handled with gentle respect… It was a force of protection which warded away danger. That was Mika, the person whose very presence warmed his heart. He was his fire. "You're not a monster, Mika, and you never will be," he whispered.

"I don't know what I'd do without you…" Mika replied, before burying his face back into Yuu's cloak.

"Me neither." After four long years without him by his side, they now had years and years to look forward to. Yuu smiled, his family was whole again.

* * *

 _AN: Thanks for reading!_


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